There are significant comments by those who know best, including the US military, that torture is not the best means of obtaining RELIABLE information.
In the first place, what is torture? If I were subjected to loud rap and hip hop for an hour I'd tell them anthing they wanted, and if they didn't stop I'd invent things.
Torture is effective for control purposes, especially if the torturers have no scruples or limits, as in Saddam's Iraq, Taliban Afghanistan or North Korea. Torture is uncivilized, and what freedom and due process loving Americans could bring themselves to support it. People frightened and lied to by Bush and company who have forgotten what their forfathers fought and died for.
Finally, what others think of us matters. When Bush and the Neocon(quistadors) ruined the reputation of our country, our moral power went into immediate decline.

I'm glad to see we're being honest about what we've done. Upon reflection, I'm also glad we're not making these CIA foot-soldiers into scapegoats. Even so, it still begs for justice. These orders did not come out of thin air.

capitol tribune, there's no real news in these documents. it's commonly known what our torture techniques were. considering that we no longer employ torture, we're not telling our enemies anything by releasing these memos, except that we are reclaiming our moral high ground and once more rejecting such inhumanity as something that is fundamentally unamerican. furthermore, you're not going to get information out of hardened terrorists by torturing them either; you get information by infiltrating their groups and collecting intel. torture creates more enemies, it does not keep us safe.

These documents should not have been released. It’s utter stupidity to inform the enemy what your outer limits are. You’re not going to get information out of hardened terrorists by asking them "name, rank and jihad number." As edgus said, let an attack go down on American soil and we're see just how long we hold to begging for them to talk to us.

This whole argument over tough interrogation techniques has the taint of insincerity about it from those "anti" types on the left. Let it be their family or children at stake and we'll see just what their willing to do.

I think this report it is disturbing, but I also think all the Monday Morning Quarterbacks forget the atmosphere in 2001-2002, when there were serious discussions among serious people that the CIA had been neutered by the Chruch commission, and that we had the ability to find out about 9/11, if only we had "asked the right way."

And may I remind all of you that all it takes is one terrorist act on American soil for everyone to ask: jeez was all that torture what has kept us safe since 9/11? The backlash in that could be severe. That is one reason to not preen too much about the higher morality that the administration supposedly exibits.

"Yes, don't tell the terrorists how willing we are to torture. That would let the enemy know too much. Instead, have the President say categorically, 'The United States does not torture,' and then torture anyway. Credibility is important!

Oh, and everyone knows these terrorists fear torture. After all, they only flew some jetliners into some buildings and had their buddies praise them for it, so clearly these guys are afraid of death and pain. So this torture stuff should really scare the bad guys away!"

Sacrificing the moral high-ground for questionable gain.

When Iran decides to capture a U.S. soldier and waterboard him, I really hope Cheney says it's A-OK as long as the Iranians felt the U.S. soldier was a threat...because that's how far we've come...

Sure, VV, and you and I might think the implication is obvious but I suppose the McNaughton could be made to apply. To wit, would Bradbury have written the same memo if it were being read critically by someone with some sense. Of course not, but can you prove it?

In one of the leaked memos by Bradbury, he acknowledges that the techniques he approved 'bear some resemblance' to techniques used by other countries (Iran, Syria, Indonesia...quite the group) that the US derides as torture.

I agree bampbs. Although proving Bradbury, Yoo, Addington et al worked criminally in bad faith you have to prove they aren't just dumb as a box of rocks. Addington and Yoo have their defense off to a bonny start.